The present invention relates to a disk array apparatus for mounting a plurality of disk drives.
A disk array apparatus that stores large-volume data carries a multiplicity of disk drives and provides storage areas configured, for example, in a RAID (Redundant Arrays of Independent/Inexpensive Disks) system, to a host system. A conventional disk array apparatus is configured in such a way that a plurality of disk boxes is mounted in a rack-shaped basic frame. Each disk box contains a plurality of disk drives. The disk drives are placed on a back board formed on the back face of the disk box and thereby electrically connected to a disk controller and a power supply unit.
As the high-density mounting of disk array apparatuses continues, electric power consumption and heat production are increasing steadily. Fan capacity is being increased more and more as a measure against the increasing heat generation. However, due to high-density mounting, air resistance within a disk array apparatus has increased, and a sufficient cooling effect cannot be obtained. The fan capacity has to be increased in order to counter the attenuation of cooling air due to the increase in air resistance. Under these circumstances, production of noisy disk array apparatuses with high electric power consumption is being accelerated. Various kinds of configurations have been examined as cooling configurations for a disk array apparatus. For example, JP-A-2005-18926 suggests the technology of transporting the heat generated from disk drives to the outside of the disk drives and discharging the heat from a heat sink formed on the back face of a back board.